F.U.’s
I really don’t need to tell you to run out and grab those F.U.’s reissue CD’s on Taang!, right? I trust that you have that one covered. Lots of folks blather on about SSD or DYS as the definitive Boston bands but in my mind they don’t come close to the F.U.’s. Kill For Christ and My America are essential components of the US Hardcore template. Even the more rocked out Do We Really Want To Hurt You? still delivers a hammering. KFTH has a wealth of information for those looking for background info
The below is a live set recorded 4/1/84 on WERS in Boston, originally included as the second record on the Origin of the Straw Dogs reissue on Lost & Found. Bottom line: this thing is fucking nuts. I don’t think it’s physically possible to listen to the first 30 seconds of “Rock The Nation” and not get a sense of the incipient mayhem. The set draws heavily from the Do We Really Want To Hurt You Material, but the versions here make the studio takes sound tame. 20 tracks, 38 minutes. Fucking hardcore, dude:
F.U.’s - Rock The Nation.mp3
F.U.’s - Peer Police.mp3
F.U.’s - Pennies From Heaven.mp3
F.U.’s - Beast in My Bed.mp3
F.U.’s - Lick My Shiny Boots.mp3
F.U.’s - Shitheads.mp3
F.U.’s - Poor, Poor Pitiful You.mp3
F.U.’s - Twisted William’s Revenge.mp3
F.U.’s - Rock and Roll Mutha.mp3
F.U.’s - Ode to Larry Joe.mp3
F.U.’s - Do We Really Want To Hurt You.mp3
F.U.’s - Promised Land.mp3
F.U.’s - Walking Tall.mp3
F.U.’s - Pushed/Unite or Lose.mp3
F.U.’s - The Beast Within.mp3
F.U.’s - F.U.mp3
F.U.’s - What You Pay For.mp3
F.U.’s - Warlords.mp3
F.U.’s - American Band.mp3
22 Comments so far
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Sox & Co do rock. Whether it was the FUs or Straw Dogs, Sox, Grimes and Wayne kick a$$. Bob was such a definitive drummer too. I never understood the MRR backlash; didn’t they know it was tongue in cheek (My America that is). Waht a great LP. And the Mickey Mouse insert really captured the ferocity. Wish I has seen them as the FUs…
I agree that they top both DYS and SSD (especially the latter) but I prefer that Jerry’s Kids’ album an Taang over this any day. Velocity and hooks.
Best Boston had to offer in the early 80’s, by far. I lived in south Louisiana at the time and never got the chance to see them live, bummer, one of my fav early 80’s Am. hardcore bands…
i am NOT fat!!!
they loved america!
Love this band &, yeah, they ARE very under-rated. Got the LP on Lost & Found & I think the live stuff is devastating!
I think MRR’s problem was (& still is) that they were really stuck in this Political Correctness strait-jacket/vacuum. Don’t get me wrong, I love the mag, but there seems to be a lack of humour sometimes. I always found it strange that they gave props to a rapist (GG Allin) while ragging on bands like the FU’s.
JERRY’S KIDS are the best Boston band, though!
If I had to choose between Jerrys Kids and The FU’s I would pick BOTH. This shit is awesome! thanks!
MRR got very PC in the 80’s as you guys remember and I for one always thought of that PC BS as a form of censorship equal to the goverment wanting to stop Adult Videos.Music whether in good or bad taste should be up to a person to decide if they want to hear it.
As far as The F’U.’s I saw them a boatload of times and was at many of their shows.Hey I even took my young 3 year old out to those old Channel and Paradise shows.They were one of the best bands to come out of the 80’s scene.All the guys were talented musicians and the songs all have good structure to them.
And by the way in 1979 I made a demo tape for a band called The M.I.A.’s with johnny sox singing.3 song demo and Pre-School Dropout song first appearance.
everybody knew MRR was played, but there was a small USA pride element at one point that was pretty redundant for the REAGAN era. (anyone remember Agnostic Front and their American flags?) If it was a “joke”, (which I know it wasn’t), White Flag did it funnier, and didn’t attract skinheads.
To see it done worse, I recommend US CHAOS.
Any plans of rippin that demo tape, jordan? *hinthintnudgenudge”
rip it all!
http://deathtofalseblogs.blogspot.com/
What about the Freeze? One of the best from Boston. Loved the FUs - and this live set scorches - but always thought the Freeze was the pick of the litter. If you’ve got it, give their tune ‘Warped Confessional’ a spin… a gem of the genre, baby!
strangely enough last week was listening to do we really want to hurt you? and thought…raw versions of these songs would probably do them true justice…this live stuff proves it. miles above dys and ssd.
this made my day, thanks….
The Freeze were great too! If I had to pick between Jerry’s Kids, The Freeze or The FU’s…I’d pick em all! and (early) SSD! …and Negative FX! …and Deathwish!Never liked DYS though.
About the PC MRR shit. I remember about 86-88 the HC scene was getting really pro-american. Bands like Warzone and Murphys Law and Agnostic Front outta NYC could be pretty jingoistic. At that point it was either that or posi-core. I think alot of them may have been inspired by The FU’s. Maybe the FU’s were ironic or maybe not but thier LPs rocked and were funny as hell. Xeroxing degrades the image.
Part of this recording was first released on a 7″ bootleg called “Rock the Nation”. The cover artwork featured the band’s provocative “hunting” picture that was originally used in ads to promote the “Do you we …” LP.
Amazing live set and the drumming alone makes me wanna jump around naked.
The Freeze were the best Boston band. Not the slightest doubt about that. “Land of the Lost” is one of the 5 LP’s I wanna have played during my funeral in 2053.
Yes! One of my favorite FU’s tracks is on the Unsafe at Any Speed comp. Let’s not forget the Proletariat when we are talking about the Boston rock pantheon.
I used to listen to WERS when I was a kid. What a great station.
i could listen to “walking tall” and “f.u.” for the rest of the month. thanks for the post!! instead, i’ll go listen to the “guilty face” or the “boston not l.a.” tracks from the freeze. and speaking of boston, has anyone mentioned (early) gang green????
Forgot Early Gang Green! Shit! Add them to the list. The Sold Out 7inch and the Boston Not LA stuff! “Give The Fuckin’ People What They Want!”
jerry’s kids first lp was the shit !
but that L&F live record remains my fav’ live HC record, bar none.
One of my favorite bands right up there with Jerry’s Kids…thanks so much for posting it!
I’m happy to report that the Freeze are alive and well. We’re booking a West Coast tour for June 2007 and have upcoming shows in Boston (3/10 with Gang Green!) and Portland, Maine in May. Gang Green and Jerry’s Kids have also been playing and touring in GG’s case.
As far as the FU’s are concerned, some of the other members have no interest in reunions, but I’ve been talking to Sox about doing some reunion things with the other Boston bands and he’s open to it. Can’t say any more! Keep your eyes peeled!
Jed, the Freeze’s manager and publisher of Smash! (1982-1985 fanzine)
I was good friends with John Sox, and was in the station with them that night. That wsa a really cool gig. Lots of fun! Listening to it again brings back tons of great memories. Thanks!
mutzman